A year ago, no one outside the program was sure what to expect from Chaminade-Madonna. The Lions were coming off a disappointing 2008 season in which they went 2-8. There were talented players on the roster, but there was also some youth and inexperience. How would the Lions respond? Well, they went 12-1 and were a point away from advancing to the state championship game. Chaminade enters 2010 as one of the teams to watch this season and coach Tim Tyrrell says that’s just fine with him.

Chaminade-MadonnaCoach: Tim Tyrrell2009 record: 12-1

It wasn’t long ago that Chaminade-Madonna was one of Broward County’s top high school football programs. The Lions won state titles in 2003 and 2005 and churned out dozens of top-notch prospects. But some coaching changes and the departure of key players took their toll, leading to a couple of lackluster seasons.

Things changed last year as Chaminade, under then-second year coach Tim Tyrrell turned things around and went 12-1. They were eliminated in the state semifinals after a 7-6 loss to eventual Class 2B state runner-up Tampa Catholic.

Now, entering 2010, expectations are high. Chaminade may have lost 8 of 11 starters on defense, but they return several components of last year’s high-powered offense including quarterback Jerrard Randall, an Oregon commit and running back/wide receiver Curt Evans.

Randall was a first-team All-County selection last season after passing for 1,600 yards and rushing for nearly 1,100 more. His mobility makes him a threat on nearly every play, but Tyrrell believes there’s more to Randall’s success than just skill and athleticism.

“He brings a very high IQ for the quarterback,” Tyrrell said. “He’s a top-level quarterback when it comes to his head and his competitive spirit is what drives him.”

Evans will give the Lions another threat. He’s talented and athletic enough that Tyrrell expects him to be used at both wide receiver and running back. He’ll also see some time at defensive back and already, South Florida, Duke, Vanderbilt, Stanford and Boston College are among the programs that have expressed interest.

Reggie Brown, a transfer from Miami Central, will also see plenty of time at running back.

But those players won’t get very far without the help of their offensive lines which will feature two new faces—6-4, 275-pound guard Tim Nicholas and 6-5, 295-pound right tackle Gregg Lewis. That unit’s going to have to come together quickly to give the offense room to operate.

Another unit that will have to find a way to play together quickly is the defense. Chaminade lost eight starters on that side of the ball, including last year’s Class 3A-2A-2B-1A-1B Defensive Player of the Year Hans Louis and All-County selections Demitri Beal and Ruben Narcisse. Look for defensive back Johnathan Aiken to lead the way here. Aiken, a safety, has already collected more than 20 college offers. Among the programs interested are Rutgers, UCLA, Michigan, Wake Forest, and West Virginia. The Lions are also going to count on defensive back Raheem Roberson, whose family relocated to South Florida from Virginia.

“There are a lot of kids on defense that got in a lot last year and we’re not too worried about that,” Tyrrell said. “I believe we have one of the best defensive [coaching] staffs in South Florida. We just need to get those kids more and more experience.”

As part of his effort to put Chaminade back on the map permanently, Tyrrell has put together a pretty tough schedule for the Lions. They’ll take on Naples Lely in their preseason game and will take on Colorado’s Legacy High in their opener in Orlando.

Week Two brings a showdown with powerhouse American Heritage-Delray, the defending Class 1A state champion.

“We expect more out of ourselves than last year,” Evans said. “We want to take our opportunities and make the best of them. We know everyone is going to be coming after us. We’re just going to have to play harder than last year and put it all together for a state championship.”

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About the authors

DAVE BROUSSEAU is the High School Sports Coordinator and has been covering high school sports at the Sun Sentinel for over 30 years.

CHRISTY CABRERA CHIRINOS I'm one of the few who can say they were born and raised in South Florida. I stumbled upon a love of writing while a student at the University of Miami. After too many sleepless nights trying to decipher chemistry assignments, it was time to change majors and I graduated in 2000 with a degree in journalism and English Literature. After a brief stint as an online producer for SunSentinel.com, I got the call to cover high school sports.
I'm enjoying the job today as much as I did at my first Friday night football game. After all, where else do you get to cover games from the sidelines and have the opportunity to meet tomorrow's stars before they really hit it big?

DIETER KURTENBACH a Chicago native and 2010 Missouri School of Journalism graduate, has covered Missouri Tigers athletics for KCOU radio and the Columbia Missourian, Major League Soccer for Comcast SportsNet-Chicago, and lunch orders for ESPN Radio-Chicago. Kurtenbach was part of the Missourian team that earned first place in "Breaking News" at the 2010 Associated Press Sports Editors awards, but his real passion is his constant quest to find the world’s best sandwich – if you have a tip, don’t hesitate to send it his way.